Big Blue backup quarterback battle brewing

It’s not training camp, but the Winnipeg Blue Bombers have a quarterback battle brewing.

The club’s three newly-acquired arms — Jake Dolegala, Bryan Scott and Darren Grainger — and rookie Terry Wilson will vie to backup starting signal-caller Zach Collaros for the rest of the year, with Chris Streveler shelved with a season-ending knee injury.

Being the only non-starting quarterback who knows the playbook, Wilson will serve as the backup for this week’s contest in Edmonton against the Elks (6 p.m.), head coach Mike O’Shea confirmed Tuesday, but the Bombers are clearly exploring every option for the position, which will make for interesting practice sessions over the next couple of weeks.

Three new players may seem like overkill, but O’Shea said that’s just how the cards fell.

“I think we were always planning to bring back Darren Grainger. He just got hurt (in training camp),” said O’Shea. “We only had a short look at him, but he got hurt in the preseason and just wasn’t available. So we planned to bring him back on (practice roster) expansion anyway.

“And then obviously with the injury to Strevy, now there’s a need. So it’s pretty well coincidental, the timing.”

Grainger’s signing on Tuesday was preceded by Dolegala and Scott, a pair of well-travelled vets who were on CFL rosters earlier this season.

Dolegala, 27, dressed for nine games and appeared in two for the B.C. Lions but was released after the club re-signed Nathan Rourke. Scott, 29, dressed for 27 games over the last two seasons with the Toronto Argonauts but was cut following Chad Kelly’s return from suspension.

Both are mobile but prefer to sit in the pocket and throw.

“They both have experience,” said O’Shea. “Jake would have a little bit more obviously, but that’s why we brought them in.”

Dolegala, standing 6-7, has made numerous stops across the National Football League and Canadian Football League, including starting for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in last year’s thrilling Labour Day Classic, in which he led the Riders to a 32-30 victory.

He arrived in Winnipeg with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after his stint with the B.C. Lions ended suddenly.

“Having started, and then we had a team golf outing, and then the very next day I get a call that Nathan (Rourke) is coming back, ‘We’re going to have to let you go,’ it was kind of a shock because I thought I played a decent game but, you know, that’s the business,” said Dolegala, who was at his home in New York when he received a call from Winnipeg.

Anticipating a team would reach out sooner or later, Dolegala kept his arm in shape after leaving B.C. When his phone did ring, he was happy to see it was the Bombers. It was an easy, ‘Yes,’ from the free agent.

“I love football so I wasn’t going to give it up. Obviously, this place is known for being a winning program and I was just really excited to be a part of it, getting the opportunity,” he said. “They just gave me an opportunity, that’s about all it was, that’s all I needed. You’re gonna give me a chance, I’m going to make the most of it.”

Scott remained in Toronto after his release, also certain that his season wasn’t over.

Though his in-game experience this season has been limited to one appearance — albeit, he went five-for-five for 79 yards and a touchdown — Scott is confident he can lean on his past stops, which include the United States Football League, to win a job.

“Right now, I just think it’s developing every day into hopefully one day a starting CFL quarterback,” he said. “So just continue to learn and get better every single day, learn from Zach — he’s been unbelievable in my three, four days here with him lending a helpful hand. He sees it in me too so I’m grateful for that.”

Opportunity will be limited for each quarterback to make his case.

On Tuesday, Collaros led all quarterbacks with 17 snaps during the team session of practice while Wilson recorded nine. There were just six plays left to go around to Grainger (three), Scott, (two) and Dolegala (one).

“You just make the most of your reps,” said Scott. “I learned a lot last year too, just being in the back and watching how practice goes. I think right now it’s just learning how we get in stretch lines, how we throw routes on air, like what do we do after each period? Just the little stuff like that, then the football stuff will come easy for me.”

Dolegala and Scott echoed each other sentiments on how quickly they can learn and playbook, and how long it would be before they are comfortable suiting up.

“As soon as possible.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam

Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He’s reported primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports and writes a weekly real estate feature for the business section. Read more about Josh.

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